My mention of the fuel pump was only in answer to the question 2 posts before it. I was implying the fuel pump in mine lasted much longer than yours so far and I haven't heard anything that points to a fuel pump. Your injectors are fuel supplied and electrically triggered, but oil driven. What kind of oil do you use and how many miles are on it?

 

Another really rough idle (loss of power)... / Battery light solution

Another really rough idle (loss of power) this morning... See below for battery solution - but it started like a champ, and then when I put it into gear, she started idling extremely rough and lower rpm's and barely would hang on, and then would get close to restoring ideal idle, and then back down to hardly running and eventually died. When I went to start it back up, it seemed to have cleared itself up and I was able to leave the driveway. Here's my question...

I have fairly new (2K miles) oil (rotella), but apparently I was 2 quarts low (didn't realize I had gotten down that low - knew I was dripping some, but the last time I checked, I was still good, so the leak has obviously picked up). Could this have caused the rough idle? Tugly, you said the injectors are oil driven - so could this have been starving them for the necessary oil and causing a rough idle at these low temperature conditions? I'm worried though - I realize that this was NOT good for them, but could I have done significant damage to the injectors - such that they're life is now shorter? I did have the injectors replaced about 20K miles ago, so they are fairly new, and I just don't want to question their integrity for the remainder of their life. Any thoughts you could provide would really be beneficial. Thanks, guys.

Battery light solution - So I took my alternator off and got it checked - long story short... bad diodes. But since someone else may be in the same boat and find this post, I'll try to explain the best I could understand.

It was charging fine according to the output voltage - which is why I never wanted to accept it being the alternator. I checked it at the big 3 parts stores and failed the diode test (aka - key on, engine off test) (aka - lamp off test) (aka - bad light diodes) which was causing "excessive ripple" (if I read that right, it's the variation in volts that the alt is putting out). Still not completely sure though, but since they had a stand alone regulator test, I'm assuming the diodes read the system voltage and tell the regulator what to output and the machine could somehow bypass that and send a constant signal to the regulator and test the output. So essentially 3 different tests...

1. Read system voltage and deliver to the correct reading to the regulator (diode test)
2. Control the signal to the regulator and read the output signal coming from the regulator (regulator test)
3. Add a load and test the ability to output the appropriate voltage out (output voltage test)

So - in case someone is reading this and thinks "well - I'm putting out an appropriate amount of voltage, so I don't need to replace my alternator", here's my story. I had a battery that passed a test about 5 months ago and a battery light on the whole time. When I just had it tested off the system, by battery was at 5 CCA (rated to 865 CCA). Here's my suggest from someone that is not only tight, but has appropriate reason to be (aka - not too financially blessed). If your battery light is on and you are in the same boat that I was (hopefully you find out early enough) with an alternator failing the diode test, replace your alternator. It won't be long before it destroys your battery. You may not think it will (and if it's a newer battery, you'll probably have more time than I did), but eventually (sooner more than later), it will ruin your battery, and you'll still be left with the alternator to replace.

Sorry for the long post

 

Both my alternators (when good) put out 14.3v, engine running with charged batts.

 

Same here, literature I have says 14.2V to 14.4V from the hot pole while running. Glad you got the charging system worked out and your HPOP fully charged, taking care of your intermittent fuel supply problem.

 

Really??????????????




The battery light is called an idiot light for a reason--> 99.9% of the time, it is the regulator on the alternator. The alternator in mine went out a few weeks back. The bearing in the alternator froze up, and it burned itself up. The light NEVER came on, but the volt meter showed what was up.

 

Yup - call me stupid, I guess, but my thought process was the following... The alternator was rebuilt about 4 months prior to the light coming on (must not take replace the diodes). It was putting out the correct voltage. And it was keeping my batteries charged. It lasted a over a year and a half with the battery light on. Just didn't think it necessary to deal with when it was "doing what it was supposed to". I still needed a new battery, I still needed an alternator, so the way I view it now, I got an extra year and a half out of my alternator. It's tough when you don't have a mechanics background to be able to know what's necessary and what's not. It's NO knock at you guys, because you're only looking out for the good of people when you recommend things (and more importantly - I appreciate EVERY bit of help you guys provide), but most of the time the recommendation is "start with this... drop $300 bucks and let us know if it solves anything". That's great if I was made out of money, but sometimes I have to "let things go that I feel don't NEED" to be replaced. Sometimes I get burned, but sometimes it works out in my favor and a car gets totaled by hail or hitting a deer when it NEEDS a new timing belt. I value you guys opinion, and I try to never do something that will destroy my vehicles too much, without replacing every little things that doesn't work like brand new. It sure is a tough balance.

On a different note - if I was low on oil, and I just added it to the reservoir, do I need to do anything to purge the HPOP or will it eventually work any air that was introduced to the system out? Thanks again, guys. I GREATLY appreciate your help.

 

NO brother, never meant it that way. We call it that, because it really doesn't tell us very much other than you need to replace your alternator- if it comes on.

Old green gets a new oh-rye-lees one every two years almost like clock work. Sucks, but at least it is free replacement each time. Think the first one was ~$120, and there was no way I could get a reputable shop to rebuild it for that price. Same went for the starter. Old green has more oh-rye-lees parts in her than I'd like to admit.

The guys are correct when they recommend always replacing the batteries in pairs. It sucks, but is the only way to do it. If you are worried about the fuel pump, you should disconnect the line and put a pressure gauge to test it real quick. That will tell you for sure if it needs to be replace.

How low on oil were you? If it wasn't very low, don't worry.

 

Nah - I had to learn. I now know about alternators though. It was only about 55 to rebuild it, but I wish I would have just bought one at the time - didn't realize there was lifetime replacements on them.

As far as the oil. I was about 2.5 quarts low - and low enough to struggle to stay alive for a while.

I'm sorry - I guess I'm just a little on edge because of my transmission. Dealership went out of business after replacing it only about 4 months ago and frying my chip (and I don't know if I'm gonna get it reburned for free yet), and now it's leaking a substantial amount of fluid. Can't track it down, because I've got an oil leak as well, and it's so dang tough to tell where it's leaking fluid from. It's a mess under there. I could spend an entire day just cleaning the engine to be able to look at things better. Seals are starting to go out everywhere - was loosing antifreeze a while back (at least I was able to find that one and replace it).

 

Good post !! I am glad you found your problem and I think next chance I get I'll take my alt off and take it in to get it tested since my battery light has been on for 2 yrs now. Or should I say it goes on and off.

 

I was two qurtlow in my earl 99 and it never hickupped. It had been that way because the EBPV Actuator in the pedestal was leaking really bad. Replaced pedestal with a blank one and deleted the valve. Added two quarts and all is well. Just letting you know that two quarts low is not an issue. If the pickup tube in the oil pan can not pick up oil then the HPOP will not be staying full and therefore your injectors will not fire.

 

I appreciate your compliment. I figured it could help someone, because when I was searching, I wish I would have found all this information. It seemed to sum up everything that I couldn't find until I pulled the trigger for myself. I hoped it would help someone but didn't expect to ever hear about it. Thanks again.